In 2022, the Netherlands was invited to be the Country of Honor for the Pujiang Innovation Forum. On August 27, on the sidelines of the Forum, Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang met with Dutch Ambassador to China Wim Geerts, Consul General in Shanghai Marjo Crompvoets, and representatives of Dutch multinationals.

Minister Wang Zhigang welcomed the Netherlands as the Country of Honor for the Pujiang Innovation Forum 2022 on the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and the Netherlands and thanked the Dutch delegation for its critical contributions to the success of the Forum. He noted that President Xi Jinping and King Willem-Alexander exchanged congratulatory messages to mark the anniversary, charting the course forward for the growth of China-Dutch relations and that Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Mark Rutte also sent congratulatory letters to the Forum. Minister Wang said that the Netherlands has always been an essential partner for China regarding science, technology, and innovation (STI), and applauded pragmatic and efficient STI cooperation between the two countries in agriculture, health, environment, energy, chemistry, and other fields. He suggested that the two sides further improve cooperation, strengthen the alignment of strategies and exchanges on policies, continue to promote practical cooperation in key areas, and jointly address global challenges such as climate change and COVID-19.

Ambassador Wim Geerts thanked the Chinese side for inviting the Netherlands to be the Country of Honor for the Pujiang Innovation Forum 2022, saying that the congratulatory letter sent by the Dutch Prime Minister highlights the importance the Netherlands attaches to STI cooperation with China. He affirmed the fruitful results the two countries have achieved in STI cooperation, endorsed Minister Wang’s proposal on cooperation mechanism, and expressed his willingness to use the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to bring bilateral STI cooperation to a higher level.

During the meeting, the two sides also exchanged views on opportunities for Dutch multinational enterprises in China. Li Meng, Vice Minister of MOST, He Defang, Deputy Secretary-General of MOST, Li Guihua, Director-General of the General Office of MOST, Dai Gang, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation of MOST, Liu Duo, Vice Mayor of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, and Zhang Quan, Director of STCSM, were present at the meeting.

During the forum, the two sides also held activities such as the China-Dutch Joint Innovation in Water Technology Country of Honor Sub-Forum, the Energy Dialogue Seminar, and the Virtual Dutch Pavilion of InnoMatch EXPO. In addition, they shared knowledge, showcased their STI achievements, and promoted in-depth exchanges and discussions on topics of mutual interest, laying a solid foundation for further cooperation between the two sides.